Guide tab

ABSTRACT

GUIDE TABS FOR USE ON GUIDE CARDS WHEREIN INDICIA CARRYING MEANS INSERTED IN THE TRANSPARENT GUIDE TABS ARE VIEWABLE FROM EITHER SIDE OF THE GUIDE CARD OR FROM DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE GUIDE CARDS, THAT IS, FORM POSITIONS ANYWHERE WITHIN A 180* ARC AROUND THE EDGE OF THE GUIDE CARD.

Dec. 14, 1971 w, BOEDEKER 3,626,619

GUIDE TAB Filed Jan. 31, 1968 /32 38 i 36 i430 I I I u 0 .2. 12 g i; 2 Z 2 '5 5g 3 a 3 ii 20 '5 a f: 9 l

United States Patent Oflice 3,626,619 GUIDE TAB Harold W. Boedeker, 534 Ashland Ave., River Forest, Ill. 60305 Filed Jan. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 701,980 Int. Cl. B421. 21/04 US. Cl. 40360 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE anygvhere within a 180 are around the edge of the guide car This invention relates to improved tabs for guide or III-(16X cards or the like. More particularly, it is concerned with a tab wherein the indicia carrying means are viewable from a plurality of positions.

Devices of this type have been previously devised but have been unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. In some cases the construction is such that the necessary complete range of angular viewability is not present.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a transparent guide tab which can be attached to the edge of a guide card and be read from the front or either side of the guide card.

Another object is to provide a guide tab of tubular construction into which indicia bearing means can be inserted and positioned so that when attached to a guide card, the indicia can be read continuously from all positrons within an arc of substantially 180, that is, moving from one side of the guide card to the other.

Another object is to provide a guide tab structure having a tubular lens-like body having formed on the inside surface thereof at least three flat coextensive longitudinally extending adjacent fiat surfaces defining substantially a half hexagon in transverse section and against which indicia bearing means may be disposed.

. The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guide tab of the invention mounted on the vertical edge of a guide card;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view in section of the guide tab taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of the guide tab of FIG. 1 showing indicia bearing means partially inserted into the guide tab; and

FIG. 4 shows an indicia bearing card of the type to be inserted into the guide tab as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a guide tab of the invention attached to the forward vertical edge of a guide card or index card 12. The guide card 12 here illustrated is of the type used in a vertical file, that is where the guide cards and material to be filed are slid substantially horizontally into and out of a filing cabinet.

The guide tab 10 is a transparent plastic body and comprises a longitudinally extending tubular like head portion 14 to which is attached a depending skirt portion 16. The tab 10 may be made by molding or formed by extrusion. A groove 18 is formed in and extends the full length of the skirt portion 16 for receiving the edge of the guide card 12 for attachment purposes. The edge of the guide card 12 may be secured in groove 18 by suitable means such as glueing or by rivets 20.

The head portion 14 of the guide tab is of a generally 3,626,619 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 tubular structure. One portion thereof defines a substantially semi-cylindrical surface 22 extending the full length of the tab. The inside wall of this tubular structure opposite the semi-cylindrical surface 22 has formed thereon three fiat axially extending surfaces 24, 26 and 28 lying adjacent each other with their edges connected. The middle surface 24 lies in a plane substantially normal to the plane of groove 18 and the guide card 12 inserted therein. The surfaces 26 and 28 are connected to the opposed edges of surface 24 and make angles a and b therewith respectively of approximately as seen from FIG. 2. Thus the three surfaces 24, 26 and 28 together define substantially a half hexagon.

A flexible indicia bearing strip 30 is inserted into the end of head portion 14 as seen in FIG. 3. The strip 30 may be constructed with score lines 32 to facilitate bending the strip into three portions 34, 36, and 38 of substantially equal width to be positioned respectively against inner surfaces 24, 26 and '28 of the head portion 14.

Each of the portions 34, 36 and 38 may contain desired indicia. Thus as the position of the viewer with respect to the guide tab varies as indicated by the arrows 48, the indicia is continuously viewable from one side of the guide card 12 to the other without any interruption as the viewer moves to different positions. To put it another way, at least of viewability is presented.

Abutments 40 and 42 may be formed on the inner wall surface of the head portion 14 along the outer edges 44 and 46 of surfaces 26 and 28 respectively. The abutments 40 and 42 preferably extend the full length of the head portion. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 that the abu ments 40 and 42 prevent the transverse or lateral displacement of the strip 30.

It will be appreciated that the guide tab disclosed herein may also be attached to the upper edge of a guide card intended to be used in a conventional filing cabinet drawer.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically disclosed, it is to 'be understood that the invention is not limited thereto as other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its fullest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A transparent guide tab comprising:

an elongated transparent tubular body structure having a longitudinally extending axis and open at least at one end said tubular structure being adapted to receive therein indicia bearing means;

means defining an outer substantially semi-cylindrical curved surface extending transversely of said elongated axis;

means defining an inner surface on the inside of said tubular structure said inner surface means comprising at least three substantially fiat axially extending surfaces disposed edge to edge to define substantially onehalf of a hexagon in transverse section, each of said three fiat surfaces being adapted to have indicia bearing means positioned thereagainst so that said indicia is continuously viewable when viewed through said body structure from the front and from either side of said tab to provide legibility through an arc of at least 180; and

means associated with said tubular structure for attaching the guide tab to the edge of a guide card.

2. The guide tab of claim 1 including means formed on the inside of said tubular body structure for positioning said indicia bearing means and preventing circumferential movement thereof with FOREIGN PATENTS respect to the tubular body structure.

3. The guide tab of claim 2 wherein said positioning means includes longitudinally extending abutment means projecting inwardly from the 5 inner surface of said tubular body structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1949 Aigner 40 23 A X 10 5/1966 Zwolinski et a1 40-23 A JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

7/1959 Australia 8/1959 France 453,819 12/1927 Germany 129-168 941,024 11/1963 Great Britain 129-16.7 A

317,142 12/1956 Switzerland 

